How Will Moscow Respond to Attacks Inside Its Own Territory with U.S. Equipment?
Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu has vowed a harsh response to cross-border incursions conducted from Ukraine this week.
Kyiv has denied involvement in the raids, which were carried out in Russia’s Belgorod region, while two Russian paramilitary groups opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin have claimed responsibility.
The Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps reportedly crossed the border on Monday and briefly overran the Russian villages of Kozinka and Gora-Podol, capturing a number of Russian vehicles in the process.
Moscow has claimed that Western military vehicles were used in the incursion, and the Kremlin posted photos of destroyed U.S. vehicles near the scene of the fighting. Videos posted by the Russian Ministry of Defense and verified by NBC News show a U.S.-made Humvee and an MRAP armored vehicle near the Russian border checkpoint.
Staged Photo?
Ukrainian military experts and bloggers have pointed out the photos could have been staged, but the Russian Volunteer Corps, which claims to be made up of Russians fighting on behalf of Ukraine and which also claimed responsibility for a previous cross-border raid, posted a video of its own on Wednesday morning that showed it to be in possession of an MRAP.
NBC News noted that it wasn’t clear where that video was filmed.
“It’s possible the vehicles were used in some form of assault, but it’s also possible the image is staged — a longstanding practice of disinformation employed by the Kremlin to cast a narrative. This narrative conveniently matched the domestic Russian audience narrative that the U.S. and NATO threaten the security of Russia,” said Clint Watts, a national security analyst for NBC News.
Washington Distances Itself
The far-right militias that conducted the raid claim to have a number of U.S.-made vehicles in their arsenals, and Ukraine has received the same vehicles as part of aid provided by Washington.
Denis Nikitin, leader of the Russian Volunteer Corps, told the Financial Times that his fighters assaulting the Belgorod region were in possession of American-made military vehicles. That reportedly included at least two M1224 MaxxPro armored vehicles and several Humvees. Nikitin declined to disclose how the U.S. vehicles were obtained.
The U.S. has insisted that it did not “encourage or enable strikes inside of Russia.”
Aknowledging reports that have been circulating on social media claiming that U.S.-supplied weapons were used, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said, “We’re skeptical at this time of the veracity of these reports.”
That sentiment was echoed by the U.S. Department of Defense.
“It’s something we’re keeping a close eye on,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Defense Department spokesman, said when asked about the reports of American vehicles being used in this week’s raids into Russia. “I don’t know if it’s true or not, in terms of the veracity of that imagery.”
The U.S. would not “encourage or enable strikes inside of Russia,” Miller added. “But as we’ve also said, it is up to Ukraine to decide how to conduct this war.”
Russian Response
The Kremlin had harsh words for the U.S. on Wednesday.
“It is no secret to us that more and more equipment is being supplied [to Ukraine],” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a daily news briefing Wednesday. He further added, “It’s no secret that this equipment is used against our military.”
One could ask whether the Kremlin thought Kyiv should only use such military hardware in a parade, but then, such a parade would certainly be more impressive than the one held in Moscow earlier this month.
“It’s no secret that the direct and indirect involvement of these Western countries in this conflict is growing every day,” Peskov continued. “We draw the appropriate conclusions.”
Author Experience and Expertise
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
